Monteverde Pens - Hard Starters?

[sharon888]

I have a few Monteverde Pens of recent vintage, the Artista Crystal, the Prima, and the Invincia Color Fusion. All of them refuse to start after they sit for a couple of days until I twist the piston knob and let some ink flow through the nib. The only Monteverde I have that starts right up every time is a Monteverde Regatta I got like 8 or 9 years ago. It's one of the ones with the screw cap, not the current version with the magnetic cap. Any idea what the problem is? I don't have this problem with my other pens, which include Pelikan M200s and M215s, Lamy 2000s, a Platinum Century 3776, a Sailor 1911m, a Faber Castell Loom and a Pilot Vanishing Point. Is there something I should do to the nibs? They write fine after they get going. Or maybe if I replaced the nib and feed units? I know the Prima and the Invincia take a #6, but does the Artista Crystal take a 5?

 

Thanks for your help!

[fly_us]

You might want to change the ink and do some throughly flushes first.

[Tas]

 

Sorry to hear.

 

I have an Intima and it's SO reliable that I often use it to test inks with and have thought to buy another. (Brilliant nib)

 

Never a problem, apart from that Noodler's 54th episode but that's all behind us now . . .

[Buzz_130]

If the pens write fine after you "get them started," then changing the nib or feed will not likely make a difference. I'd also start looking at some more basic questions.

 

What brand of ink are you using? When is the last time you gave these pens a good cleaning (you may have some dried ink slowing things down)?

 

And easier solution for these pens (which you may have found the culprit in the cap design) is to keep a small glass of water nearby. If the pen is slow to start, a quick dip to get the ink moving again is a tried and true technique. When pens have sat too long, I've also used a wet paper towel for a wipe of the nib to get the ink moving again. Now, I try to keep the number of inked pens down to a level that I can reasonably use each one every day until they run dry.

 

Buzz

[akustyk]

It could be that the cap doesn't make an airtight connection with the pen barrel, so the nib dries out? I am not sure. I've this problem with Noodler's pens.

[sharon888]

I will give those things a try. Thanks for your feedback guys!